The name Guidraco means “malicious dragon,” and looking at its head with that tall crest and mouth bristling with dozens of long, pointed teeth, it’s definitely an appropriate name for this Chinese anhanguerid. Although a relatively obscure pterosaur, it’s pretty famous here on the Dinosaur Toy Blog thanks to CollectA’s colossal 2015 toy.
Review: Dilophosaurus (Jurassic World: Amber Collection by Mattel)
Review and photos by Faelrin, edited by Suspsy
Before the mainline sized 3.75″ Hammond Collection came onto the scene this year and became all the rage, there was the ill-fated Amber Collection, a line of figures intended for 1/12 scale collectors. After its launch in late 2019, it saw poor species diversity (too many Velociraptor figures), poor quality control, poor accuracy to the source material at times, and limited distribution globally (mostly online only), etc.
Review: Torosaurus (PNSO Museum Line)
Review: Ampelosaurus (Jurassic World: Dominion, Massive Action by Mattel)
Review: Prehistoric Tube C (CollectA)
Since they first started producing tube sets back in 2015, CollectA has covered a pretty decent variety of prehistoric life, wild animals, sea creatures, and farm stock. In 2021, they went back to the beginning with a third dinosaur (mostly) set consisting of ten figures, all based on previously released toys.
Review: Carcharodontosaurus (GR Toys by Haolonggood)
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a “shark-toothed” theropod model as decked-out and detailed as this one, although a couple of design flaws might have one hesitating at the retail price.
Carcharodontosaurs have ranked among my favorite dinosaurs since early childhood – the notion of meat-eaters even bigger than the mighty Tyrannosaurus was simply too irresistible to my 5-year-old self, and that initial shock and awe has remained embedded in my psyche to this day.
Review: Dinosaurs II (Authentics Habitat Collection by Safari ltd.)
This fine set of little Battat precursors from Gregory Wenzel has aged impressively well, and any collector who’s found a chance to own the set should find these a delight.
Back in the 1990s, Safari ltd. was still a bold newcomer on the collectibles stage; with their success on the Carnegie Collection line, the company began exploring additional means to grow their brand.
Review: Miragaia (Jurassic World: Ferocious Pack by Mattel)
Review and images by EmperorDinobot, edited by Suspsy
I, Emperor Dinobot, would like to quote, or rather, paraphrase what someone said a few months ago upon seeing pictures of Mattel’s Miragaia: “This is an evil-looking figure!” I am not sure whether they were referring to the paint job or to the lack of accuracy, but I have to disagree.
Review: Ceratosaurus (Jurassic Park 3, Hammond Collection by Mattel)
Gripe all you want about Jurassic Park 3 but we must give credit where credit is due. The movie featured a diverse assortment of dinosaurs with arguably the best color schemes in the franchise. Gone were the dull grays and browns of the first two films, JP3 went wild like a kid with a coloring book and the movie was better for it, though not by much.
Review: Tanystropheus (Jurassic World: Fierce Force by Mattel)
Review: Triceratops (2022)(Deluxe by CollectA)
Tolerance and understanding mean little to the bitty brain of a belligerent brawler like Donnybrook. So naturally, when he happened upon a nesting group of edmontosaurs, he thought nothing of blundering directly through their midst instead of diverting around them. The females sitting next to their nests honked in anger and alarm, yet he merely bellowed back at them and waved his menacing head.
Review: Gwangi (X-Plus/Star Ace)
Review and images by GiganotosaurusFan, edited by Suspsy
The year was 1969 and everyone was talking about the new show-stopping dinosaur movie made by Ray Harryhausen. It was The Valley of Gwangi, an epic tale of how the last living Allosaurus was found, captured, and eventually met a grandiose, spectacular, and tragic end after a cathedral crashed down on top of it with a bang. Naturally, the film was a success, and that iconic, menacing Allosaurus would remain in many people’s hearts for years to come.